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LIFESTYLE SEGMENTATION: WHAT RETAIL STORE ATTRIBUTES ARE IMPORTANT TO THE ELDERLY? Barbara Oates, Texas A &amp; M University--Kingsville Lois Shufeldt, Southwest Missouri State University Bobby Vaught, Southwest Missouri State University ABSTRACT Psychographics, or lifestyle groupings, has emerged as a robust technique for identifying distinct market categories of the 65 and older market. An activities, interests, and opinions (AIO) questionnaire provided data to identify five distinct groups of elderly shoppers. Significant differences were found among the five clusters with regard to the perceived importance of various retail attributes. INTRODUCTION Demographics alone do not give a complete picture of the consumer, thus hampering the marketer in segmenting the market to its full potential (Cooper, 1984). Bone (1991) indicates that the use of demographic characteristics such as age, discretionary income, and employment status can be misleading. The use of chronological age, a common method of segmentation, is not as closely related to behavior as is psychological age (Barak &amp; Rahtz, 1989; Bartos, 1980). Although the use of discretionary income as a segmenting tool is tempting due to its tie to spending behavior, it does not take into consideration such factors as activity levels, personal interest, health, or discretionary time (Bone, 1991; Burnett &amp; Wilkes, 1985-86; Moehrle, 1990). By incorporating psychographic information with demographics, the marketer will better understand the wants and needs of the consumer. Sorce et al. (1989) suggest that &quot;firms that wish to market their products and services to the older American market should use lifestyle variables in segmenting the market&quot; (p. 58). According to Gollub and Javitz (1989), &quot;psychology, socioeconomics, and health are the keys to understanding how older adults want to live&quot; (p. 28). Greco (1986) states that &quot;many retailers and manufacturers seem to think that age alone dictates singular buying pattern and purchasing motives&quot; (p. 72). However, proper identification of segments which exist within this market will allow the development of more effective marketing strategies for approaching the elderly (French &amp; Fox, 1985). Lambert (1979) and Moschis (1993) indicate that the buying behavior, desires, and needs of the elderly must be

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unique. If uniqueness is lacking, then aging consumers are not a distinctive market. In this study an attempt is made to identify and obtain information about the concerns, needs, and problems that are salient in the minds of older consumers regarding the purchase of over-the-counter drugs (OTC) at retail outlets. This product was chosen because of its prevalent use by the elderly (Coleman &amp; Militello, 1995). Efforts were made to identify psychographic characteristics of the elderly consumer, as well as to determine lifestyle groups and the relationship between these groups and retail store attributes. RETAIL STORE ATTRIBUTES Bone (1991) suggests that the mature market can be attracted by offering special discounts based on age. However, Bone (1991) and other researchers caution marketers that it is a . . false assumption that the mature market has low discretionary income and thus price is the determinant attribute&quot; (p. 51). Hence, assuming that price is the key determinant can be misleading. Smith and Moschis (1985) suggest that age relates positively to the use of money-saving sales promotion offers, such as cents off and/or coupons; yet, their research does not support this view. In many instances, price and pricerelated aspects are of lesser importance, which could explain the preference for department store shopping by the mature patron as opposed to discount store shopping (Lambert, 1979; Lumpkin &amp; Greenberg, 1982; Lumpkin et al., 1985; Mason &amp; Bearden, 1978). Lambert (1979), Lumpkin et al. (1 985), and Mason and Bearden (1978) agree that the most important attributes of store selection relate to the relationship of quality to price and the finding of satisfactory products. The elderly consumer prefers quality products yet wants attractive prices-value for the moneynot necessarily the cheapest price. The elderly want fashionable clothing and the ability to return unsatisfactory goods (Greco, 1986; Lumpkin et al., 1985). Another group of attributes which impacts the store choice of the elderly consumer is sales (reduced prices) (Lambert, 1979; Lumpkin et al., 1985). Another important consideration is the availability of advertised products and the ease in locating these advertised products within the store. Also included in the group of important attributes are helpful and courteous salespeople and the readability of tags or labels, which are either in or on the products (Greco, 1986; Hildebrandt, 1988; Lambert, 1979, Lumpkin et al., 1985; Mason &amp; Bearden, 1978). Dychtwald and Flower (1990) assert that the

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older consumer is also searching for convenience, including convenient use of the product or service, as well as convenient procurement of the product. This includes the purchase arrangements and delivery, setup, and instructions for use if required. Lumpkin et al. (1985) report that attributes not perceived as primary determining factors in store choice by the elderly are those which deal with tangible aspects, such as carry-out, parking, and location. The elderly desire to be comfortable, but it is not a primary consideration; nor is a great deal of emphasis placed on uncrowded stores or package carry-out. These findings contradict other research (Lambert, 1979; Lowe &amp; McCrohan, 1988; Mason &amp; Bearden, 1978) which suggests that these attributes are important to the elderly. PSYCHOGRAPHIC GROUPINGS The conflicting research on the elderly has led many to question the wisdom of using age alone to segment the market. In fact, after a review of 33 segmentation studies since the mid-1970's, Bone (1991) concludes: &quot;Thus, chronological age does not seem to be an appropriate segmentation variable&quot; (p. 48). Another more meaningful variable, lifestyle or psychographics, has emerged as a very robust technique of identifying distinct categories of buyer behavior. French and Fox (1985) questioned 200 gerontologists about the adjustment patterns of the elderly to old age. They were able to identify two factors that underlie a list of behaviors and attitudes of the elderly. The first factor is how much the elderly actually enjoy retirement living; the second factor is the extent to which the elderly are secure in the adjustment process. The success or failure of this adjustment process provided a classification scheme of nine distinct groupings. Drawing upon the work of the gerontologists, Sorce et al. (1989), developed a questionnaire designed to tap the changes that age brings-family composition, health, financial status, and social and physical activities. The questionnaire was distributed to 418 older adults living in Monroe County, New York. Utilizing factor analysis and cluster assignment, the researchers were able to identify six distinct lifestyle profiles: SelfReliants, Quiet Introverts, Family Orienteds, Active Retirees, Young and Secures, and Solitaires. From these studies and others, the same general conclusion is reached: definite psychographic groups exist within the elderly market segment. What is lacking, however, is research on

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the impact of those distinct groupings upon buyer behavior and other aspects important to the marketer. It is clear that the elderly market cannot be treated as homogeneous. What is not clear is to what extent those psychographic groups affect buyer perceptions and behavior. This study will extend the psychographic literature by showing the relationship between elderly lifestyle and retail store attributes. METHODOLOGY Sample A convenience sample of 550 respondents was drawn from senior citizen centers in the Coastal Bend and Rio Grande Valley region of south Texas. The criteria for those participating in the study were age, income (minimum of $10,000 annually), and living arrangement. Inclusion in the sample required that the respondent be 65 or older, reside in apartments or homes, and do their own shopping for personal or family use. Of the 550 respondents, 425 returned the questionnaire, of which 386 were usable, for a response rate of 70 percent. Questionnaire The survey instrument was a self administered questionnaire used to determine the lifestyle characteristics and retail store attributes of the consumers over age 65. As part of a larger study, the survey instrument identified and measured the selection techniques used by the over 65 age group when choosing retail stores for the purchase of over-the-counter drugs. Lifestyle characteristics were measured by the respondents' activities, interests, and opinions (AI0). Demographic characteristics of the sample were also collected. Statements used in the development of the lifestyle section of the questionnaire were drawn from studies by Cooper (1984), Lumpkin, et al. (1985), Lumpkin &amp; Greenberg (1982), Sorce, et al, (1989), Darden and Ashton (1974-75), and French and Fox (1985). These statements included items which were used to determine the activities, interests, and opinions of the sample. A five point Likert-type scale was used, with responses ranging from not me at all (1) to really me (5). In another section of the questionnaire, an attempt was made to determine the importance of the various store attributes based on the perceptions of the participants. The attributes studied are those related to convenience of store location, in-store

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convenience and physical environment, price and quality , and special needs of the elderly (Darden &amp; Ashton, 1974-1975; Dove, 1984; Lambert, 1979; Lumpkin et al., 1985; Lumpkin &amp; Hite, 1988). To determine the importance of each attribute, a five-point scale ranging from never (1) to always (5) was used. The instrument was revised after a pre-test. Lifestyle Analysis The lifestyle data (62 statements) were submitted to a factor analysis which performed a principal components analysis along with a varimax rotation. After completing appropriate statistical procedures, each cluster created was given a name to emphasize the characteristics of the respondents in that particular cluster. The name of each cluster corresponds to that generated by Sorce el al. (1989). Displayed in Table 1 are the questionnaire items in each cluster and their respective loadings, showing the relative importance of each item. The largest of the clusters was Family Oriented with 91 respondents accounting for 25.6% of the sample. The remaining clusters were almost equal in size: Young and Secure (19.4%), Active Retiree (18.1%), SelfReliant (20%), and Quiet Introvert (18.9%). Retail Store Attributes To reduce the number of variables relating to store attributes the 35 questions were submitted to a factor analysis. The varimax rotation method was used to obtain the factors, thus creating four separate variables which represent the original set of variables. Table 2 shows the four factors generated and their respective loadings of each store attribute. Factor 1 is called Store/Personnel Quality and reflects perceived variety and quality of the products, store layout, and friendly, knowledgeable personnel. Factor 2 is the Store Characteristics of location, temperature, and an uncrowded store with a place to relax while shopping. Factor 3 is called Discount/Sales Policies. It includes the importance of items being on sale, accepting coupons, as well as giving senior citizen discounts. The last factor is called Service Attributes and is comprised of items relating to delivery, phone-in, carry-out, and parking. RESULTS The majority of the sample were Caucasian (58%) with the remainder being Hispanic. There were 254 women (65.8%) and 132 men (34.2%) who completed the questionnaire. The majority of the

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respondents (69.4%) were married; 22.3% were widows or widowers with 8.3% being single or divorced. Their ages ranged from 65 to 84, with the majority being in the age group of 65 to 69 (66.6%). Most of the respondents (68.9%) lived with only their spouses, but 21.8% lived alone. Also, 93.8% of the participants owned and operated their own automobiles. Most of the sample had college experience (58%), while some (14%) had a graduate degree. The results of an analysis of variance (ANOVA) indicate there is a significant difference (p.0260) among the lifestyle groups when considering Store/Personnel Quality. The repeated measures test, the Tukey/Krammer method shows that the means of the Family Oriented and Quiet Introvert groups differ significantly (p&lt;.05). The Family Oriented group considers the attributes of the Store/Personnel Quality very important when selecting a retail outlet. There are no significant differences among the Young and Secure, the Active Retiree, or the Self-Reliant; these characteristics are of equal importance to these groups. In contrast, the Quiet Introverts do not find these particular characteristics of paramount importance when choosing a retail establishment to purchase medicines. When considering Store Characteristics, the test results indicate there are no significant differences (p=.0559) among the groups. However, when viewing the contrasts among the groups, the mean of the Family Oriented group differs significantly (p=.0260) from the means of the remaining groups. Also, the mean of the Active Retirees varies significantly (p=.0360) from the means of the other groups. From the post hoc multiple Retirees find the components of important in the selection of a drugs. In contrast, the Family on these characteristics. comparisons test, the Active Store Characteristics to be retail outlet when purchasing OTC Orienteds place little importance

The groups did not differ significantly (p= .0571) regarding Discount/Sales Policies. However, when contrasting the groups, there is significant variance in the importance placed on reduced prices, the acceptance of coupons, and special discounts among the groups. The Family Oriented differ significantly p=.0138) from the other four groups when considering Discount/Sales Policies. Additionally, the Quiet Introverts differ significantly (p=.0401) from the other groups. Therefore, it appears that the Quiet Introverts perceive the components which comprise Discount/Sales Policies as important considerations when selecting a retail outlet. However, to the Family Oriented group, these particular

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characteristics are not prime considerations when selecting retail outlets for purchasing OTC drugs. The lifestyle groups do not find the Service Attributes to be significantly important considerations (p=.1259) when selecting retail outlets. DISCUSSION To recap the findings of this study regarding store attributes, the lifestyle groups differ significantly when considering Store/Personnel Quality (fair prices, quality products, well-known brands, to name a few). Overall, lifestyle groups do not differ significantly when considering Store Characteristics (store temperature, uncrowded shopping, salespeople their own age, etc.), Discount/Sales Policies (reduced prices, coupon acceptance, special discounts, etc.), or Service Attributes (home delivery, package carry-out, phone ordering, etc.). However, there were some significant differences between groups when applying the post hoc comparison tests. Specifically, the Family Orienteds and the Quiet Introverts differ significantly in their consideration of the Store/Personnel Quality, with the former group placing great importance on the attributes related to Store/Personnel Quality in selection of a retail outlet. However, the Family Orienteds and Active Retirees differed significantly from other lifestyle groups regarding Store Characteristics, with the former group placing little importance and the latter group placing some importance on this attribute when selecting a retail outlet. Perhaps the Active Retirees with their busy lifestyle have limited time to shop, and they thus select stores in close proximity to their residences. When considering a store's Discount/Sales Policies, the Family Orienteds and Quiet Introverts differ significantly from the other lifestyle groups. The Quiet Introverts view these store policies as important considerations, while the Family Oriented group does not place great emphasis on them. According to this study's results, Service Attributes are not seen as important by any of the lifestyle groups. It may be that since the Quiet Introverts enjoy shopping, they spend their time looking for bargains. This last finding should be of particular interest to stores which have traditionally catered to or are beginning to cater to the elderly by offering extra services, such as telephone ordering and delivery. This type of marketing probably reinforced a popular stereotype that the older consumers are house-bound and unable or unwilling to do their own shopping. This research suggests otherwise. In as much as a convenience sample was utilized in this

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research, generalizations should be cautiously made. However, this shortcoming should not totally negate usability of results, given the sample composition. Specifically, the large percentage of Hispanics (42.5%) should be of some interest to retailers in the Southwest, as well as other locations where there is a large concentration of Hispanic population. The study is also limited to the purchase of medicines by the elderly. The findings may not be applicable to other products or services. Other purchasing decisions, such as groceries, clothing, household furnishings, cars or other modes of transportation, etc. should be examined in future research involving psychographic groups. REFERENCES Barak, B., &amp; D.R. Rahtz (1989), &quot;Cognitive Age and Youthfulness: Demographic and Psychographic Dimensions,&quot; in R.E. Kriner &amp; G.T. Baker, III (Eds.), Advances in Health Care Research, Silver Springs, MD: American Association for Advances in Health Care Research, 47-51. Bartos, R., &quot;Over 49: The Invisible Consumer Market,&quot; Harvard Business Review 58(January/February), 140-48. Bone, P.F. (1991), 'Identifying Mature Segments,&quot; The Journal of Services Marketing, 5(Winter), 47-60. Burnett, J., &amp; R. Wilkes (1985/86), &quot;An Appraisal of the Senior Citizen Segment,&quot; Journal of Retail Banking, 7(Winter), 57-64. Coleman, L.J. &amp; J. Militello (1995), &quot;Gray Marketing,&quot; Marketing Quarterly, 12(3), 27-35. Health

Smith, R. &amp; G. Moschis (1985), &quot;A Socialization Perspective on Selected Consumer Characteristics of the Elderly,&quot; The Journal of Consumer Affairs, 19(1), 74-95. Sorce, P., P.R. Tyler, &amp; L.M. Loomis (1989), &quot;LifestylesofOlder Americans,&quot; The Journal of Consumer Marketing , 6(Summer,) 53-63 TABLE 1 Questionnaire Statements and Their Cluster Loadings Cluster 1: Family Oriented 0.76 Enjoy spending time with my family 0.66 Enjoy being with people 0.62 Feel pride in using the things I've built or made 0.59 Feel that I cope well with everyday life 0.58 Work on self-improvement 0.52 Vote most elections 0.50 Read the newspaper daily 0.40 Prefer going to a movie theater 0.40 Enjoy renting/purchasing mivies to watch on VCR Cluster 2: Young and Secure 0.83 Attend cultural/art events 0.83 Walk/exercist on a daily basis 0.59 Enjoy traveling in the USA 0.53 Think of myself as younger than most others 0.51 Environmental/wildlife issues are important 0.46 More self-reliant than others 0.46 Enjoy listening to public radio 0.46 Life today surpasses yesterday 0.45 Enjoy being asked about the latest trends 0.43 Financially I'm better off than others 0.43 Careful to eat the right foods 0.36 Enjoy doing the sweepstaks/lottery 0.33 Like to go to sporting events at place of origin Cluster 3: Active Retiree 0.76 Take active part in Federal political campaigns 0.68 Active in politics 0.68 Member of frequent flyer program 0.54 Enjoy doing stock/bond investments 0.52 Enjoy taking movies with camcorder 0.52 Subscribe to news magazine 0.48 Active in sports(golg, tennis) 0.47 A security system is in my home 0.42 Regularly purchase items through the mail 0.40 Fish or hunt on a regular basis 0.38 Spend time planning for retirement